Cloth-guide for sewing-machines.



C. F. SMITH.

CLOTH GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10. 1914.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

INVENTOR: m a? WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co, WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNIE earns CHARLES F. SMITH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB T0 HYGIENIC FLEECE-D UNDERWEAR COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOTH-GUIDE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Philadelphia. State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cloth-Guides for Sewing- Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The Object of my invention is to provide a novel, simple and etiicient cloth-guiding device for sewing machines, whereby the free edge of the folded hem or edge portion of a piece of fabric, especially knitted fabrics. may be properly directed to the needle, to be sewed or stitched to the body of the fabric to form a hem; the edge portion of the fabric, being previously manually turned or folded under the body of the fabric by the operator, and thus fed to the guiding device and by it to the sewing mechanism, to produce the desired hem.

My invention, for such purpose consists of a cloth-guide, adapted to be applied to and removably combined with a sewing machine and more particularly with a twin needle machine, said guiding device comprising a slotted base plate by which it is removably mounted in appropriate position on the bed plate of the sewing machine adjacent to the needle, and having a part rising from the base plate which provides an inner vertical guiding face adapted to direct with certainty the free edge of the previouslv-turned hem of the fabric in a straight line and in suitable relation to the sewing mechrnis1n,.and having also an overhanging portion adapted to enter the fold between the body of the fabric and the hem flap whereby the unstitched hem is held down in front of the presser foot and needle, and with the incidental result of insuring the continuous guiding contact of folded edge of the hem with the said inner vertical face of the guide.

The device includes other novel features of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

My cloth guide is applicable to most all varieties of single needle sewing machines and to any kind of fabrics commonly sewn thereon, in which use, it is obvious that the of the hem of the fabric.

line of stitching will pass through the two thicknesses of the folded edge or hem, but the device has especial utility in sewing the hem of knitted fabrics, and especially when such fabrics are sewn on a twin needle machine, that is to say a sewing machine having two sewing needles in vertical parallellsm transversely to the direction of the presser foot and to the direction of the fold Such fabrics can be guided only with great difficulty, especially to sew a hem edge, and rarely to produce a line of stitching parallel with the edge; moreover, as commonly practised. the stitches from both needles pass through both thicknesses of the folded fabric; and the projecting edge of the flap, beyond its nearest line or stitches, must then be trimmed by scissors or otherwise, but with my cloth guide applied to such twin needle machine, even sewing such fabrics as knit goods, the guide can be adjusted, through the slotted base plate, in such relation to the outer needle, that the inner line of stitches from the inner needle alone passes through both thicknesses of the fabric, while the outer line of stitches, from the outer needle, passes through a single thickness of the fabric immediately adjacent to and parallel with the folded edge of the hem, with the result of making an overseaming stitch, in conjunction with the inner line of stitching, hence producing a neatly finished inner edge to the hem, without projection as before and hence requiring no trimming by scissors as would othei wise be necessary.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention: Figure 1 is a front view partly in section, of a sewing machine pro vided with my improved cloth guiding clevice. Fig. 9 is a side view of parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the bed of the machine having the cloth guiding device applied thereto. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, on line 4-4: of Fig. 2, showing a piece of turned or folded fabric being directed by the guiding device to the needles. Fig. 5 is a vertical section, enlarged, on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cloth guiding device detached from the machine.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the sewing machine frame, including the bed 3, over which the cloth is fed to the sewing devices, and the overhanging portion 6 which carries the supporting and actuating devices for the sewing needle or needles. In the machine here illustrated, two sewing needles 7 are employed which are actuated in the usual manner in conjunction with the looper 8, below the bed 3, for the production of the stitches. During the sewing operation, the cloth 9 is advanced, in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 4, beneath the presser foot 10 by the feeder 11.

The construction and operation of the parts thus far described are common and well known andno detailed description or illustration thereof is deemed necessary herein.

My improved cloth guiding device 12 is mounted on the bed 3 of the sewing machine in advance of the needle or needles 7, and it comprises a base plate 13, a vertical porticn l t rising from one edge of the base plate 13 and an overhanging portion 15 extending from the top of the vertical portion 14 away from a position above the base plate 13. The base plate 13 rests upon the bed 3 and has a slot 16 formed therein for the reception of a screw 17 which is screwed into the bed 3 and is adapted to engage the trp of the base plate 13 and hold the guiding device in place in different positions of adjustment.

The edge portion of the cloth 9, previously to being fed to the guiding device 12 and the sewing needles 7, is first turned or folded under the main body of the cloth to form the desired hem, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. The clrth 9 is then placed upon the bed 3 and fed to the guiding device 12 in relation thereto and to the needles 7, as shown; that is to say, the body of the cloth 9 is extended over the entire guiding device 12, the flap 18, forming the hem, is passed between the bed 3 and the overhanging portirn 15 of the guiding device 12 and the edge 19 of the flap 18 is brought up against the vertical face 20 of the portion 14 beneath the overhanging portion 15. The vertical guiding face 20 is so related to the needles 7 that if the edge 19 of the cloth 9 be maintained against the vertical guiding face'20 by hand pressure and manipulation of the clcth, the guiding face 20 will direct the edge 19 of the cloth constantly to the desired position relatively to the sewing needles 7, so that the flap 18 will be uniformly stitched to the body of the fabric 9 in the desired manner-to form the desired hem. As herein illustrated, the guiding device 12 is positioned upon the bed 3 to direct the edge 19 of the cloth between the needles 7 and adjacent to one of them, so that the line of screw 17 and adjusting the guiding device 12 transversely of the direction of movement of the cloth 9, the edge 19 of the cloth may be directed to the sewing needle or needles 7 in different positions relatively thereto.

The vertical guiding face 20 extends from the bottom of the overhanging portion 15 to the top of the bed 3, so that the edge 19 of the cloth 9 may be easily maintained against the guiding face 20 by hand pressureagainst the cloth; and the overhangingportion 15 is inclined downwardly toward the needle to present a deep opening at the forward end of the guide and a shallow opening. at the rearward end of the guide, to permit easy entrance of the flap 18 t0 the guide and to direct the cloth beneath the presser foot 10. The free edge of the overhanging portion 15 is inclined, at 22, in a direction away from the verticalportion 14 and in the directicn of movement of the guided fabric, to permit the cloth to pass the same without difficulty and to prevent injury to the cloth; and the free edge of the overhanging portion 15 is flared upwardly, at 23, topermit the flap 18 to be readily inserted beneath the overhangingporticn 15.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new:

In a sewing machine, a fabric supporting plate, a fabric guiding device removably mounted on theplate in advance of the needleand comprising a base plate, a vertical portion rising therefrom and forming a substantiallystraight edge guide adapted to direct the folded edge of'the fabric toward the needle, and an overhanging portion adapted to enter between the body of the fabric and the previously turned-under edge of the hem, the free edge of the overhanging portion being inclined upwardly, and said overhanging portion being narrowed in a curved linefrcm the rear to the front end of said guide.

In testimrny whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature this 23rd day of SeptemberA. D. 1914.

CHARLES F. SMITH.

Witnesses:

A. V. GRENFEL, I. M. Tums.

- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patent-s. 7

Washington, D. 0." r 

